We are into the 4th of July Holiday week, and a lot of people have already starting shooting off fireworks in their backyards. Experts say, do so at your own risk.
If you're planning to shoot off a Roman candle in your backyard this week to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday, a word of advice: be careful.
"Wear gloves, wear eye protection, keep kids away from them whenever possible," says Minnesota Medical Association President, Dr. Lisa Mattson. "Try and have the right equipment so that when they go off, they're going off in the direction, and not heading towards a group of kids or a group of people."
But for the most part, and to truly be safe, Mattson says let the professionals do it.
"Fireworks are unpredictable and so you can light a firework and think that you have it under control," she adds. "But if it goes off sooner than you expected and it's still in your hand, you have a problem."
Mattson says not all burns are created equal. You will know when its time to go to seek medical attention if your burn starts to blister.
"Also, depending on how much of the skin gets affected by that burn, if you just touch your forehead while you've got a curling iron there, most of us can survive that," she says. "But if you've got a large burn on your hand that's taking up the majority of your hand, and it's not just a small little spot that you can put a burn ointment on, that probably should be evaluated."
Mattson adds there are plenty of fireworks available that can even become deadly if not handled properly.
Just last year, Mahnomen County Sheriff's Department said a 13-year old boy was killed when a firework he was holding went off, shooting through the bottom of the tube it was in and hitting him in the chest on July 4.
In Minnesota, fireworks laws are more restrictive than in neighboring states. Personal use of consumer-grade fireworks in Minnesota is illegal.
“Fireworks” in Minnesota include firecrackers, bottle rockets, roman candles, and similar items. The definition does not include novelty items like sparklers, snakes, or smoke devices. Novelty items can only be sold to adults, and a local unit of government can impose a license fee on their sale.
Emergency rooms are alredy busy treating people who have been burned by fireworks
Emergency rooms are alredy busy treating people who have been burned by fireworks
